Amma's Prasadam.

[Guest guest]

Question – It is said that the objects enjoyed through our senses

cannot give us happiness. But, still, it is really from material

objects that I derive happiness, isn't it?

 

Amma – Happiness doesn't come from outside of you. Some people adore

chocolate, but no matter how delicious it is, when you have eaten

ten pieces at once, you will begin to feel an aversion to chocolate.

You won't get the same satisfaction from the eleventh piece as you

got from the first. Some people don't like chocolate at all. Just

the smell of it makes them nauseated. But chocolate always remains

the same, whether or not people like it. If the chocolate really

made us happy, wouldn't we feel equally happy regardless of how much

we ate? And wouldn't everyone derive satisfaction from it? So our

satisfaction doesn't depend on the chocolate per se, but on our

minds. People believe they derive happiness externally and spend

their entire lives trying to acquire the objects of their desires.

But in the end the senses weaken, we become feeble, and collapse.

 

Happiness is to be found within, not without. Only if we rely on

that inner happiness can we enjoy bliss and satisfaction always.

Both material objects and the senses that perceive them have

limitations. It is not that the materialistic aspect of life should

be avoided; only that we should understand the intended use of each

object and give it only the importance it deserves in our lives.

Unnecessary thoughts and expectations are the problem.

 

For most people, nothing is more important than their own happiness.

They don't love anyone beyond that. A man came to see Amma in

America. His wife had died a short while ago. She had been his very

life. Whenever she was away, he would stay up all night, sleepless.

He wouldn't eat if she hadn't eaten. Whenever she went anywhere, he

would wait for her. He adored his wife. But their life together

didn't last long. She suddenly contracted a minor illness and died

within a week. The body was taken to the funeral parlour. Many

friends and relatives arrived. The burial was to take place only

after everyone had viewed the body. Meanwhile, the husband became

very hungry. "Oh, let it be over soon!" he said to himself. He

wanted it to finish so that he could eat! He waited for another hour

or two. Still, he saw no sign of the burial taking place any time

soon. By this time he was so hungry that he went to a nearby

restaurant and ordered a meal. He himself told Amma about this

incident. He said, "Amma, I was willing to sacrifice my life for my

wife—I loved her that much. But I forgot everything when I was

hungry!"

 

This happened in America. Now don't you want to hear what happened

in India? This is the story told by a woman who came to the ashram.

Her husband was killed by a car while he was riding a bicycle. This

woman was his second wife. The first wife had died some years

earlier. There were two grown-up children from his first marriage.

When the second wife received the news of her husband's death, the

first thing she did was not to go and see the body or to bring it

home; instead she went to take possession of the key to her

husband's safe. By the time she found the key, some people arrived

with the body. The children of the first wife also arrived. After

hearing about their father's death, they didn't immediately go to

see his body. They, too, went straight to the place where he kept

the key to the safe. They wanted to find the key before their

stepmother found it, because they feared she would take all of their

father's wealth. But they arrived too late. The stepmother had

already found the key and hidden it. Those children had been raised

with so much love. Where was their love now? The wife used to say

that she loved her husband more than her own life. Where was her

love now? Their minds were only on the money. My children, this is

what the world is like. People tend to love others only out of

selfish motives.

 

Some men vow to kill their wife if she talks to another man. When a

father is on his deathbed, the sons can't wait to divide the

property. In some cases, if a son expects to receive a big

inheritance, he won't hesitate to take his father's life. Is that

love?

 

The point is not that we should give up and just sit idly, not doing

any work because the world is the way it is. But we shouldn't have

any expectations such as "My wife or husband and my children will

stay with me forever."

 

Know your dharma, and strive to live accordingly. Perform your

actions without any expectations. Don't expect love, wealth, fame,

or anything else. The aim of our actions should be to purify our

inner selves. Be attached only to what is spiritual, for only then

will you experience true happiness. If you perform certain actions

expecting something from others, suffering will be your only

companion. But if you live in harmony with spiritual principles, you

will be in heaven here on earth and in heaven when you die. You will

benefit both yourself and the world.

 

Question – Some people are born rich. They grow up in the midst of

plenty. Others are born in huts where there is not enough for even a

single meal. What is the reason for this difference?

 

Amma – Each person is reborn in accordance with the actions of his

or her previous lives. Some people are born under kesari yoga and

will prosper anywhere. The Goddess of prosperity resides in them. In

accordance with the actions of their previous lives, they have been

born now with this deity. In their previous lives, they have

worshipped God with concentration and given generously to others.

Those who have done bad deeds are the ones who suffer now.

 

Question – But we are not aware of any of this.

 

Amma – Can you remember everything you did as a child? During their

exams don't students often forget what they studied the day before?

Similarly, everything has been forgotten. And yet, with the eye of

wisdom, we can see everything.